Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) is one of America’s most celebrated poets. In Rain Poems poems like The Rainy Day and Rain in Summer, he uses rain as a powerful symbol to reflect life’s challenges, moments of sorrow, and the hope that follows hardship. Through simple yet musical language, he captures universal emotions, offering timeless wisdom and insights that continue to resonate with readers. Literary historians often note his ability to make profound themes accessible to all audiences.
The Rainy Day (1842) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
📖 Bibliographic Information
- Title: The Rainy Day
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- First Published: 1842
- Collection: Ballads and Other Poems
- Musical Setting: Amy Beach (1883)
- Publisher (Original): Oliver Ditson, Boston
- Library of Congress Control Number: 2008561958(Source)
🌧️Poem Text:
1 – Nature & Mood
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
2 – Life & Reflection
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
3 – Consolation & Hope
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary. (Source)
🌟 Theme / Message: Life isn’t always sunshine—sad and difficult moments are part of the human condition. Yet, behind the storm, there is always light and renewal. 🌈
📚 Publication History
Original Publication: The poem was first published in 1842 in Ballads and Other Poems, Longfellow’s second major collection.
Musical Setting: In 1883, composer Amy Beach set the poem to music, resulting in a musical score published by Oliver Ditson in Boston. This version is available in the Library of Congress.
Modern Editions: The poem remains included in various anthologies and collections, such as the 223-page volume “Selected Poems” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, available on Goodreads.
🖋️ Context and Inspiration
Longfellow wrote “The Rainy Day” while living at his family home on Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The space where he penned the poem, later called the “Rainy Day Room,” was eventually turned into a summer dining area. A photograph of this room from 1908 is preserved in the Maine Memory Network.
🌧️ Rain in Summer (1845)
📖 Bibliographic Information
- Title: Rain in Summer
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- First Published: 1845
- Collection: Ballads and Other Poems
- Musical Setting: Amy Beach (1883)
- Publisher (Original): Oliver Ditson, Boston
- Library of Congress Control Number: 2008561958
Poem Text:
How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
How it clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp of hoofs
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!
How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
How it clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp of hoofs
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!
📚 Publication History
- Original Publication: The poem was first published in 1845 in Ballads and Other Poems, Longfellow’s second major collection.
- Musical Setting: In 1883, composer Amy Beach set the poem to music, resulting in a musical score published by Oliver Ditson in Boston. This version is available in the Library of Congress.
- Modern Editions: The poem remains included in various anthologies and collections, such as the 223-page volume “Selected Poems” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, available on Goodreads.
🖋️ Context and Inspiration
Longfellow created “Rain in Summer” while staying at his family home on Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The room where he wrote it, later called the “Rainy Day Room,” was eventually converted into a summer dining space. A photograph of this room from 1908 is preserved in the Maine Memory Network.
📚 Why These Poems Matter Today
Longfellow’s rain poems, The Rainy Day and Rain in Summer, are still meaningful because they reflect life’s challenges and joys.
The Rainy Day reminds us that hard times are part of life, while Rain in Summer shows the beauty and relief that follows.
Through simple, musical language, these poems inspire hope, patience, and appreciation for both life’s storms and sunny moments.
Conclusion
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Rainy Day and Rain in Summer show us that poetry is not just about words, but about timeless human emotions. Through the imagery of rain, he teaches that sorrow and struggle are natural parts of life, yet so are renewal and joy. These poems remind readers that every dark cloud eventually passes and gives way to light. Even today, his verses encourage us to stay hopeful, patient, and appreciative of both life’s challenges and its blessings, sometimes even finding beauty in the simple or even funny moments of life
